Soup Kitchen to host holiday meal Thursday

The Soup Kitchen once again will host its annual Thanksgiving meal Thursday, this year at Finally Tammy's in Fulton.

From 1 to 3 p.m., the organization will be serving a free Thanksgiving dinner for anyone who wishes to attend, while at the same time delivering meals to area housebound residents.

Soup Kitchen president Anne Erbschloe said the organization has been working on plans for its 12th holiday dinner offering for several weeks now, adding they are expecting a large crowd to join them for turkey and all the traditional trimmings.

"Last year we had between 150 and 200 people and I think there will be at least that many this year," Erbschloe said, noting the Soup Kitchen has been serving 50 to 60 meals a night at the John C. Harris Community Center in Fulton. "It brings people out — some people come every year. It's tons of people from all over."

Preparation for the meal will start Tuesday when Erbschloe's husband starts baking the 11 turkeys they have ordered for the event, and a small army of volunteers will arrive at Finally Tammy's Thursday morning to cook the ham and side dishes. Several local businesses are donating the dessert items.

"We could use a few more volunteers with deliveries, or if people want to make donations, they can contact us," she said.

Finaly Tammy's owner Tammy Manion said she was more than happy to provide a location for the Soup Kitchen's Thanksgiving.

"I think it's important that everyone has their holiday dinner — they even deliver to people who can't come," Manion said. "It's free to people that wouldn't normally get one. It's pretty nice."

Erbschloe said she would encourage anyone who needs a place to go for Thanksgiving to join the group at Tammy's.

"Everyone is welcome," she said, noting, "Thanksgiving is a time for thinking about what we have and remembering people who don't have."